Systems and methods for mass user multi input control of a common display

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods which provide for quick to setup and play multi-player activities or games which can be used with a group of people to provide for an interactive experience. The games require no advance software download and the systems and methods are designed to handle a large number of players going through the steps of signing in and playing in a very short window of time. As such, they are very useful to provide for interactive experiences in breaks of activity at a large venue such as a sports arena or concert hall.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Utility patent applicationSer. No. 15/165,454, filed May 26, 2016 and currently pending, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/168,407, filed May 29, 2015 and now expired. The entire disclosure ofall the above documents is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This disclosure is related to the field of electronic gaming.Particularly to games or other systems wherein a large number ofinstructions from a large number of discrete input devices can becollated to control the output of a single common display in real-time.

2. Description of the Related Art

Human beings generally enjoy each other's company and often express thatenjoyment through the joint participation and experiencing of sharedevents. Cities are riddled with venues, such as stadiums, where a largecrowd of people can join together to share in a common experience be ita musical concert, performance art event, sporting event, religiousservice, culinary sampling, civic gathering, or other collective event.These events provide humanity with a common denominator and have beenaround since ancient times. There are huge numbers of well-knownhistorical venues catering to these types of activities including theColiseum and Globe Theatre.

Originally, to participate in these events, one had to be at the eventand in the venue. However, the advent of electronic mass communication,and particularly the progression from radio, television, the Internet,and then Internet capable mobile devices, has made these events moreuniversal and more accessible. Where it used to be that to share in theevent one had to be in the venue, with radio and television, one couldnow witness the event without necessarily being there, but couldn'tcommunicate readily with those at the event. However, the Internet, andmore specifically Internet capable mobile devices, has allowed for thoseboth at and separated from the venue to interact and share, generally innear real time, in the event with friends that are both at the venue andaway from it.

This interconnectivity of involvement with events that one is physicallyspaced from has really only really arisen with the advent of the“smartphone” and related mobile technology which utilizes packet datacommunication over wireless networks on devices which are transportablewherever a person goes. As opposed to telephony, which were singleorigin to destination devices, the advent of the Internet, and socialnetworking systems such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Meerkat,Snapchat, and Lockerdome combined with wireless interconnectivity hasallowed humanity to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and impressions,in text, photo, or video to friends across the globe nearinstantaneously and without regards for who, or how many, are on thereceiving end of the communication. Thus, we can be corresponding tofriends who are at the venue while we watch the event on television fromour home and vice-versa. This communication is also much likecommunication with a person who we are actually physically near at thevenue as we are not monopolizing their attention (as can be the casewith a telephone call) but can be one of many communications they areswitching rapidly between.

While the ability to upload and share events in our lives has led toincreasing connectivity between friends and those of even minimal commoninterest, it has also led to increased isolation. Instead of talkingwith those we are sitting next to at the ballpark or outdoor concertseries, we are staring at device screens and speaking with our thumbs.As some commenters would contend, we have traded in actual humaninteraction for the virtual, and that has actually led to isolation.

This is emphasized by the fact that in addition to our networking withother humans going virtual, much of our interaction with even liveevents is going virtual. It has become increasingly common for eventhose who are at a sporting or similar event, to be simultaneouslywatching the event live and on a device to obtain additional commentary,perspectives, and content. It is also common to be at an event and seepeople with good seats, with a good view of the live action, watching iton the large television screens in the venue because that is the imagethey are more used to seeing and it often still provides more content.Further, a number of recent studies have shown drastic increases in whatis sometimes called “dual screening” where a person is actuallyinteracting with two different digital streams (for example a televisionand a social network feed), in conjunction with the same event, at thesame time.

This crossing over where interaction with digital devices is becomingincreasingly not just as an activity in and of itself, but part of otheractivities or as a replacement for what used to be in personinteractions is starting to permeate the public consciousness.Increasingly, we are seeing digital devices gather information from usand use it to shape our interactions and understanding of ourenvironment. A person's actions and movements can be used to drive otherevents. Posting certain items to social media or taking a certain numberof steps during the day can generate bonuses in virtual environments.The dividing line between an interaction in person, and an interactionvirtually is now becoming blurred.

Even our sporting events are becoming more virtual. Video games, whichused to involve a single player competing against an intelligence engineon their machine in what was essentially a preprogrammed puzzle, areincreasingly multi-player where individual players are provided withboth human opponents and human teammates. Further, there has beenincreasing interest in spectating such games with Internet based videochannels arising that are focused on displaying such games. In manyrespects, video games have now taken a space that was originallyoccupied almost exclusively by sporting events and provided a virtualalternative.

Typically, in a single-player game, the player controls the actions of asingle game element. This game element is often called an “avatar” andis designed to represent the player in the game world. In some games,the avatar is visible to the player and can be seen in the virtual world(a so called “third-person view” used in games such as Diablo™) while inothers the avatar is not shown, but the image the avatar would see,along with certain game control elements such as indication of what isin the person's hands, or the speedometer of a vehicle, are visible(so-called “first-person view” used in games such as Doom™ and manyracing games).

Regardless of the type of view used, all the remaining elements in thegame are controlled by the video game programming. Generally, this meantthey moved in accordance with a variety of preselected algorithms andintelligent engines that were selected based on the difficulty level ofcompetition the user selected. Single player games can be a lot of fun,but can become repetitive. The computer control can be formulaic (forexample the fixed pattern that the ghosts in Pac Man™ follow) andplayers could find ways to easily defeat the computer by simply abusingcertain elements of the algorithms. Even without specifically finding aloophole in the programming, a player would often get sufficiently goodat a game (by simply knowing what to expect) that the computer no longeroffers much of a challenge.

The difference between most one player video games and the real-lifeactivities they are simulating is generally two-fold. In the firstinstance, you are always a team of one in a single player game. Othergame elements, including opponents and teammates, are computercontrolled and, as such, their behaviors are limited. While theprograming could be very good and could provide for a challenging game,these systems lacked the randomness that is often introduced by realworld competition. They are more akin to a puzzle than a team sport. Asecond problem was that the game often lacked consequences. Ultimately,when a player failed to save the world, they simply started over.

To try and deal with the first issues of single player games, gamesstarted to provide for multi-player experiences. In these systems,instead of other elements being controlled by algorithms, they arecontrolled by the actions of another player. The computer system thenserves to make sure that the actions of each player in controlling anelement are correctly presented to the other player as that element'sactions. For example, the position of the element controlled by thefirst player is visible in the display of the second player (or not)based on where the first player's avatar is located on the virtualplaying field. Thus, the behaviors of elements are no longer limited toalgorithmic controls and the random elements of human control, as wellas actual differences between human skill levels, are introduced to thegame.

As much as multi-player video games may have changed from the originalhard wired coin-operated arcade machines to the massively multiplayergames (e.g. MMORPGs) on the Internet today, very little about how theyare played has changed. In multi-player video games, each player needsto have a display that shows them (via third-person or first-personview) what the avatar (element) they control is doing, what it can see,what it can interact with, and what effect those interactions have.Based on what a player sees on their display, they control the movementand actions of that avatar to interact with the other elementsregardless of if they are computer controlled, environmental, or avatarsof other players.

Because of the way multi-player games work, the game play oftenresembles the game play of a traditional sport with each player seeingtheir individual view of the playing field, which also includes viewingthe elements controlled by other players, and taking actions based onwhat they see. Also like a team sport, it is possible to spectate or tocoach the sport by taking an overall view from an elevated viewingposition where the user can take in the whole field. In the video gamesituation, the field is simply a virtual creation with all the avatarspositioned and acting on it.

Much of the reason multi-player games have gotten more common has to dowith the increases available in computing power, and particularlynetwork speed. Multi-player games require very fast network connectionsand fast processors for each of the players. The individual processorfor each player has to provide their view of the playing field (and allassociated graphic requirements), stored imagery of their avatar (forexample their appearance and what they may have in their hands),specifics of the character's avatar (for example their current healthrating) and other local controls which are part of a single player game.The local processor also has to receive an indication of the actions ofthe other avatars, and update the display of the local player so thatthe player can correctly act. Further, the player's actions also need tobe sent to the central host quickly so that they can be passed on to theother players so that they can correctly react. All of this alsogenerally has to be performed in real-time and, as should be apparent,requires a substantial amount of communication and processing to carryout.

To deal with processing requirements, these games typically require theindividual player to download game software to their system, which willprovide for the core of the display controls as well as interpreting auser's actions, and will simply take in from a central serverinformation related to the actions of others so that it can provide anappropriate image for this player of the other player's action. Further,the games only function well when all the players have suitably fastnetwork connections and processors in their machines to make sure thatthere is little to no lag between them. Thus, multiplayer games oftenrequire high powered computers, specifically uploaded with large amountsof software and having a high-speed landline data connection to playmulti-player games effectively.

To play the game, a player will commonly startup their local softwarecopy of the game, which loads all the various necessary code into fastermemory in their system as well as loading up specifics of their avatar,and then connect with a central server. The central server will get allthe initial information from their local machine, and once the serverhas everything it needs, it will put their avatar in the game. This typeof arrangement allows for the player's actions to dominate the networktraffic being sent and offload the graphic and display requirements foreach player to their individual processors. However, it also means thata substantial amount of setup is required for games to be played.Downloading the core game program and getting it installed and workingon an individual machine often takes multiple minutes. Further, even forplayers that have played repeatedly, getting the system to log them intothe game is often a relatively long process requiring the player to waita noticeable amount of time. Further, if a player has a substantialamount of local network traffic slowing down their connection, theyoften have to wait longer to get connected and can see gameplay sufferbecause they are not getting updates fast enough.

What all the above means is that multi-player games are a lot of fun,but also require a lot of setup, they have not been usable forsituations where the game needs to be announced and played in arelatively confined period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following is a summary of the invention, which should provide to thereader a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. Thissummary is not intended to identify critical elements of the inventionor in any way to delineate the scope of the invention. The sole purposeof this summary is to present in simplified text some aspects of theinvention as a prelude to the more detailed description presented below.

Because of these and other problems in the art, described herein aresystems and methods which provide for quick to setup and playmulti-player activities or games which can be used with a group ofpeople to provide for an interactive experience. The games require noadvance software download and the systems and methods are designed tohandle a large number of players going through the steps of signing inand playing in a very short window of time. As such, they are veryuseful to provide for interactive experiences in breaks of activity at alarge venue such as a sports arena or concert hall.

There is described herein, among other things, a multi-player useractivity system comprising: a venue having a central display visible toa plurality of users, each of said plurality of users having a mobiledevice; a host server controlling said central display; a plurality ofworker servers in communication with said host server; and an usherserver for connecting a subset of said mobile devices to each of saidworker servers; wherein, said central display provides an indication ofhow to make a connection using said mobile device; wherein saidconnection connects said mobile device to said usher server; whereinsaid usher server connects said mobile device to one of said workerservers; wherein each said mobile device provides an instruction to saidconnected worker server; wherein said connected worker server collectssaid instructions from said connected mobile devices and provides saidinstructions to said host server; wherein said host server alters saiddisplay based on said instructions; and wherein neither said host servernor said worker server sends instructions to said mobile device to altera display on said mobile device.

In an embodiment of the system, the venue is a sports arena.

In an embodiment of the system, the venue is a concert hall.

In an embodiment of the system, the mobile device is a smartphone.

In an embodiment of the system, the display provides a game being playedby said users, and said display includes an avatar.

In an embodiment of the system, the display includes a plurality ofavatars, and said plurality of avatars is less than said plurality ofusers.

In an embodiment of the system, the mobile devices are separated intotwo or more opposing teams.

In an embodiment of the system, the mobile device includes a secondarydisplay which changes solely on user input to said mobile device whilesaid mobile device is communicating to said worker server.

In an embodiment of the system, the mobile device includes a secondarydisplay which is static while said mobile device is communicating tosaid worker server.

There is also described herein a method of providing a multi-player useractivity, the method comprising: providing a venue having a centraldisplay visible to a plurality of users, each of said plurality of usershaving a mobile device; having said central display provide anindication of how to make a connection using said mobile device;connecting said mobile device to an usher server; said usher serverconnecting said mobile device to a worker server; each of said mobiledevices providing an instruction to said connected worker server; saidconnected worker server collecting said instructions from said connectedmobile devices and providing said instructions to said host server; saidhost server altering said display based on said instructions; andneither said host server nor said worker server sending instructions tosaid mobile device to alter a display on said mobile device.

In an embodiment of the method, the venue is a sports arena.

In an embodiment of the method, the venue is a concert hall.

In an embodiment of the method, the mobile device is a smartphone.

In an embodiment of the method, the display provides a game being playedby said users, said display including an avatar.

In an embodiment of the method, the display includes a plurality ofavatars, and said plurality of avatars is less than said plurality ofusers.

In an embodiment of the method, the mobile devices are separated intotwo or more opposing teams.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises changing a secondarydisplay on each of said mobile devices, said changing occurring basedsolely on user input to said mobile device while said mobile device iscommunicating to said worker server.

In an embodiment of the method, the mobile device includes a secondarydisplay which is static while said mobile device is communicating tosaid worker server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a central display in a sporting venueshowing common control for a plurality of users.

FIG. 2A shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer arrangementfor player setup.

FIG. 2B shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer arrangementfor players controlling a common display.

FIG. 3 provides a flowchart of an embodiment of data flow.

FIGS. 4-7 show screenshots of various common displays from multiple gameembodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a team selection screen that may be provided to a player'smobile device to allow them to select their team.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Much of the reason that digital data is becoming so pervasive in ourlives is because it now can move with us. Thirty years ago, a person waslucky to have the ability to make a phone call from their car, whereasnow they can surf the internet from a hiking trail. The primary sourceof this increasing interconnectivity is the mobile device or so called“smartphone.” These devices are effectively powerful general purposecomputers which can now operate, and be interconnected with othercomputers and devices, in virtually any location. Further, it isincreasingly becoming the case that these devices are not only availableto us, but we carry them wherever we go.

This ready accessibility to digital mobile devices, in addition toincreasing our connectivity, also provides a new opportunity to developinteractive events of a type that have not previously been contemplated.Specifically, mobile devices can now be used to provide for communityactivities. People now have access to digital information regardless ofwhere they are and can type to communicate as readily as they can talk.At the same time, that access is, in many respects, also defined bywhere they are. Thus, the mobile device can now grant us access andinput into a digital environment at a common venue.

The systems and methods contemplated herein are not traditionalmulti-player video games. Multi-player video games are designed to allowfor each player to play their own game and have their actions in theirgame provide for interactions with other players and they requiresubstantial setup. Instead, the multi-player game activities discussedherein are designed to provide for an interactive experience withminimal setup and with a large number of ad-hoc participants.

Mobile devices generally have much more limited memory and less powerfulprocessors than desktop computers. Further, in areas where there is alarge concentration of people, each person's mobile device is generallycompeting with all the other devices for limited bandwidth due to themhaving to utilize wireless connections. It is well known that atconcerts, sporting events, and other places with large numbers ofpeople, network connections on mobile devices will often operate veryslowly (if they work at all) and it is near impossible to play amulti-player game in the traditional sense.

Generally, the system and methods discussed herein are for use inconjunction with large events where there is a gathering of asignificant number of people. This can be, but is not limited to,attendees at a sporting event, concert, art exhibition, museum, park,festival or other event, but this is not required. The systems andmethods are used to generate quick ad-hoc activities, which are often inthe form of competitive games but do not need to be, where all theparticipants at the venue can participate, without having to go througha lengthy setup process or having to have a particularly robust networkconnection.

The systems and methods do this, in the first instance, by eliminatingthe need for each player to have their own avatar and to have a screenview specific to their avatar. Instead, each player's device is treatedsolely as an input mechanism for an avatar that is controlled bymultiple players and displayed on a centrally viewable display. Thus,the systems and methods aggregate the output of multiple controllers(and multiple players) into a reduced number of avatars whose actionsare shown only on a central display which is visible to all participantsbecause the participants are physically at the venue. In this way, thereis only the need for one processor to handle major graphics requirementsand other computationally intense processes.

Secondly, the systems and methods discussed herein are designed tostreamline the startup or “logging-in” process by not requiringparticipants to download any software (at least in the traditionalsense) to interact with the game host. This allows for players to jointhe game very quickly and allows the game to take place in a very shortwindow of time even if the players have no advance warning that the gamewill occur. These two elements of the game experience allow for thegames to be played at large venues when breaks in a principal activityoccur. This can be, for example, between acts at a music venue, during atime-out in a sporting event, or during any other break in activitywhere there is a desire to provide an alternative activity to those atthe venue.

As shown in FIG. 1, at many of these types of event venues (10) therewill often be a centralized digital display (401) for providinginformation to those (103) gathered in the audience. In an embodiment,this can be the scoreboard (e.g. Jumbotron™) display, video screen(101), or similar object which is used to provide scoring information aswell as provide replays, detail views, and even separate entertainmentevents during times when the live event may be on hold. For example, itis common to provide audience participation games where a single memberof the audience is shown on the screen (101) playing a game betweeninnings in a baseball game or during commercial breaks in a footballgame. It can also include elements such as the infamous “kiss cams”trying to get certain audience members to kiss each other for theenjoyment of the remaining fans. They can also be used with closedcircuit TV cameras to provide alternative images of the event to what aparticipant may be able to see from their seats and prerecorded content.

Games and participatory events on these central displays, however, havegenerally been passive spectator events for all but a very few number offans that participate. A user (103) may play because they have beenselected to play for everyone else, may play privately with only thosein their immediate vicinity knowing how they did, or may watch theparticular user or users selected from the crowd. However, they cannotreadily participate as part of a multi-user experience. Even in highlyparticipatory events, only a few hundreds of often tens of thousands ofspectators at a venue generally get to participate with each other.

The systems and methods herein serve to provide for an interactive gamewhereby the attendees (103) of the event can interact in a communal waywith this single electronic display (401) through the use of theirindividual control devices (105). In particular, through mobile devicessuch as, but not limited to, their smartphones which act as controldevices (105). This is done by utilizing the central display as the onlydisplay of game information, and in utilizing the user's mobile devicessolely as a plurality of input devices (105) for a more limited numberof avatars on the central display (401).

Throughout this disclosure, the term “computer” describes hardware whichgenerally implements functionality provided by digital computingtechnology, particularly computing functionality associated withmicroprocessors. The term “computer” is not intended to be limited toany specific type of computing device, but it is intended to beinclusive of all computational devices including, but not limited to:processing devices, microprocessors, personal computers, desktopcomputers, laptop computers, workstations, terminals, servers, clients,portable computers, handheld computers, smart phones, tablet computers,mobile devices, server farms, hardware appliances, minicomputers,mainframe computers, video game consoles, handheld video game products,and wearable computing devices including but not limited to eyewear,wrist wear, pendants, and clip-on devices.

As used herein, a “computer” is necessarily an abstraction of thefunctionality provided by a single computer device outfitted with thehardware and accessories typical of computers in a particular role. Byway of example and not limitation, the term “computer” in reference to alaptop computer would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the artto include the functionality provided by pointer-based input devices,such as a mouse or track pad, whereas the term “computer” used inreference to an enterprise-class server would be understood by one ofordinary skill in the art to include the functionality provided byredundant systems, such as RAID drives and dual power supplies.

It is also well known to those of ordinary skill in the art that thefunctionality of a single computer may be distributed across a number ofindividual machines. This distribution may be functional, as wherespecific machines perform specific tasks; or, balanced, as where eachmachine is capable of performing most or all functions of any othermachine and is assigned tasks based on its available resources at apoint in time. Thus, the term “computer” as used herein, can refer to asingle, standalone, self-contained device or to a plurality of machinesworking together or independently, including without limitation: anetwork server farm, “cloud” computing system, software-as-a-service, orother distributed or collaborative computer networks.

Those of ordinary skill in the art also appreciate that some deviceswhich are not conventionally thought of as “computers” neverthelessexhibit the characteristics of a “computer” in certain contexts. Wheresuch a device is performing the functions of a “computer” as describedherein, the term “computer” includes such devices to that extent.Devices of this type include but are not limited to: network hardware,print servers, file servers, NAS and SAN, load balancers, and any otherhardware capable of interacting with the systems and methods describedherein in the matter of a conventional “computer.”

For purposes of this disclosure, there will also be significantdiscussion of a special type of computer referred to as a “mobiledevice”. A mobile device may be, but is not limited to, a smart phone,tablet PC, e-reader, or any other type of mobile computer. Generallyspeaking, the mobile device is network-enabled and communicating with aserver system providing services over a telecommunication or otherinfrastructure network. A mobile device is essentially a mobilecomputer, but one which is commonly not associated with any particularlocation, is also commonly carried on a user's person, and usually is innear-constant communication with a network. Mobile devices also includewearable computers, including specialized computers, such as, but notlimited to, watch computers (such as the Apple™ Watch), fitness trackers(such as a Fitbit™), interactive eyewear (such as Google™ Glass), smartclothing, and related items.

Throughout this disclosure, the term “software” refers to code objects,program logic, command structures, data structures and definitions,source code, executable and/or binary files, machine code, object code,compiled libraries, implementations, algorithms, libraries, or anyinstruction or set of instructions capable of being executed by acomputer processor, or capable of being converted into a form capable ofbeing executed by a computer processor, including without limitationvirtual processors, or by the use of run-time environments, virtualmachines, and/or interpreters. Those of ordinary skill in the artrecognize that software can be wired or embedded into hardware,including without limitation onto a microchip, and still be considered“software” within the meaning of this disclosure. For purposes of thisdisclosure, software includes without limitation: instructions stored orstorable in RAM, ROM, flash memory BIOS, CMOS, mother and daughter boardcircuitry, hardware controllers, USB controllers or hosts, peripheraldevices and controllers, video cards, audio controllers, network cards,Bluetooth® and other wireless communication devices, virtual memory,storage devices and associated controllers, firmware, and devicedrivers. The systems and methods described here are contemplated to usecomputers and computer software typically stored in a computer- ormachine-readable storage medium or memory.

Throughout this disclosure, terms used herein to describe or referencemedia holding software, including without limitation terms such as“media,” “storage media,” and “memory,” may include or excludetransitory media such as signals and carrier waves.

Throughout this disclosure, the term “network” generally refers to avoice, data, or other telecommunications network over which computerscommunicate with each other. The term “server” generally refers to acomputer providing a service over a network, and a “client” generallyrefers to a computer accessing or using a service provided by a serverover a network. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat the terms “server” and “client” may refer to hardware, software,and/or a combination of hardware and software, depending on context.Those having ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that theterms “server” and “client” may refer to endpoints of a networkcommunication or network connection, including but not necessarilylimited to a network socket connection. Those having ordinary skill inthe art will further appreciate that a “server” may comprise a pluralityof software and/or hardware servers delivering a service or set ofservices. Those having ordinary skill in the art will further appreciatethat the term “host” may, in noun form, refer to an endpoint of anetwork communication or network (e.g. “a remote host”), or may, in verbform, refer to a server providing a service over a network (“hosts awebsite”), or an access point for a service over a network.

Throughout this disclosure, the term “real-time” generally refers tosoftware performance and/or response time within operational deadlinesthat are effectively generally cotemporaneous with a reference event inthe ordinary user perception of the passage of time for a particularoperational context. Those of ordinary skill in the art understand that“real-time” does not necessarily mean a system performs or respondsimmediately or instantaneously. For example, those having ordinary skillin the art understand that, where the operational context is a graphicaluser interface, “real-time” normally implies a response time of aboutone second of actual time for at least some manner of response from thesystem, with milliseconds or microseconds being preferable. However,those having ordinary skill in the art also understand that, under otheroperational contexts, a system operating in “real-time” may exhibitdelays longer than one second, such as where network operations areinvolved which may include multiple devices and/or additional processingon a particular device or between devices, or multiple point-to-pointround-trips for data exchange among devices. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will further understand the distinction between “real-time”performance by a computer system as compared to “real-time” performanceby a human or plurality of humans. Performance of certain methods orfunctions in real-time may be impossible for a human, but possible for acomputer. Even where a human or plurality of humans could eventuallyproduce the same or similar output as a computerized system, the amountof time required would render the output worthless or irrelevant becausethe time required is longer than how long a consumer of the output wouldwait for the output, or because the number and/or complexity of thecalculations, the commercial value of the output would be exceeded bythe cost of producing it.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 can be used to illustrate how an individual(103) using their own mobile device (105) can interact with a commondisplay (401). Generally, a large central screen (101) will have placedthereon a display (401) indicating that there is to be an interactiveevent, such as a game, occur. The screen (101) may previously haveindicated that the event would occur and encourage accessing anapplication, Internet location, or other access to a host server (301)to allow a player (103) to participate. However, the systems and methodsdescribed herein generally do not require the user to download softwareto their mobile device (105) in the traditional sense, but utilize anopen network connection and software such as, but not limited to,JavaScript™ and a web browser, to provide for ad-hoc activity setup.That is, in mobile device terminology, the user would not have toinstall a specific app to participate, they would simply need to accessthe host computer and receive any software necessary for their mobiledevice (105) to participate at that time using infrastructure softwareof their mobile device (105) such as their web browser. Further, anyinformation sent to their mobile device (105) would generally be held intemporary memory and removed once the event is completed. Further, thenetwork connection utilized by the mobile device (105) will generally beany publically available network that they can use. That is, the systemsand methods do not require proprietary or private hardware or softwareto allow for access by each user's mobile device (105). Thus, the systemwill generally not include any specific need to utilize specific routersor other hardware infrastructure to access the servers. Instead, theservers will be access via the Internet or via any other publicallyavailable network using any form of, generally wireless, communication.

In an alternative embodiment, players (103) may have been encouraged todownload software necessary (e.g. an app) through other means such as bypush messaging to their mobile devices (105) based on upon theirpresence in the venue, or more traditional advertising methods such asposters and banners at the venue. This can potentially provide for amore feature rich game experience, but can limit participation and istherefore not preferred. In a preferred embodiment, players are notrequired to download and install any software in advance of playing thegame, but are instead allowed to connect their device as a controller tothe game in an ad-hoc fashion in real-time or near real-time so thatvirtually every person in the venue can participate regardless of theirbeing aware that the event would occur.

When the game is set to begin, the screen (101) will generally display agame field (401) having at least one avatar (403). This may be a singleavatar upon which the attendees will cooperatively act as is shown inFIG. 1, or multiple avatars (403A) and (403B) may be presented as isshown in the embodiments of FIGS. 4-7. These avatars (403) maycorrespond to multiple factions within the game. For example, two tiltmazes (FIG. 4), two chase icons (FIGS. 5 and 7.), or two basketballplayers (FIG. 6) may be provided each of which is displayed with thecolors or logos of one the two teams participating in the associatedsporting event. FIG. 8 shows how the colors and logos can be provided toa user to allow team selection if teams were selected by players. In anembodiment, they could simply be assigned to avoid the need for playersto pick a team and potentially unbalance the game.

Upon cue from the large central screen (101), users (103) which are inthe audience of the event will be cued to contact a particular Internetor other network address to play. This may be using any protocol orconnection method known now or later discovered and will typically beusing a standard web browser or other piece of software that isessentially ubiquitous and comes as infrastructure software on mobiledevices. As discussed in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 2A, uponcontacting this address, the mobile device (105) will be added as aparticipant to the game.

A second screen display (107) may be presented on the mobile device(105) of each user (103) that has opened the application (107) and istherefore choosing to participate in the game. The display (107) on themobile device (105) may be the same display as appears on the centralscreen (101), or may be a different display. In a preferred embodiment,the display (107) is different from the display (401) and instead ofshowing any form of game interaction, it will instead displayinstructions for how to interact with the game or simple feedbackmechanisms for illustrating that the player is interacting with theirdevice. For example, using the embodiment of FIG. 4 as the game, themobile device (105) screen (107) may indicate to tilt your device totilt the maze (403A) or (403B) to roll the “ball” (503) through it.

It is important to recognize that the second screen display (107) isgenerally not a display of the video game matter in the same fashion asa multi-player game. In a multi-player game, the player interacts withtheir individual device based on what they see on their individualscreen. A large central screen is designed solely for spectating theactions of players, or to provide an overview of actions. In the presentsystems and methods, the second screen display (107) is simply toprovide feedback to the user that they have provided input to the game,or how to provide input to the game.

The second screen display (107) is generally only used because of thespecific nature of mobile devices (105) currently. Current mobiledevices (105) are generally built around a touchscreen input devicewhich is highly flexible and provides the vast majority of allinteractions with the user. While many current mobile devices (105) mayhave a small number of additional buttons (often one general button plussmall buttons for things such as volume controls), the input of acurrent mobile device and its display are essentially one in the same.For example, tapping an icon on a touchscreen corresponding to openingan app does not require the display of the icon to open the app.Instead, the display simply tells the user where to tap to open thatparticular piece of software. Thus, while the display is helpful for theuser in that it provides feedback on the operation of the device, it istechnically unnecessary for the instruction to be received.

The current systems and methods, as opposed to traditional multi-playervideo games do not provide a display on the individual user's devicewhich is intended to provide a user with an understanding of what ishappening to their avatar in the game. Instead, the second screendisplay (107) is intended to provide instruction as to how the mobiledevice is used as a controller for this game since a touch screen, asopposed to a mechanical controller such as joystick, essentially has aninfinite number of different types of input it may take in. It would berecognized by one of ordinary skill in the art that the second display(107) could be readily eliminated if an alternative method of feedbackfor the players input action was provided. For example, if the mobiledevice was a wireless joystick or a traditional multi-button video gamecontroller, no display would be required as these systems providetactile feedback indicating when activities have been performed withthem. Similarly, if the device was a step counting device for example,the user would have no need of a feedback mechanism to know they arephysically walking or running in place.

Generally, the input to the mobile device (105) in embodiments of thepresent systems and methods will be physical and gestural. This is asopposed to a textual, spoken, or other “intelligent” input. As mostmodern mobile devices (105) do not include mechanical keyboards (theyutilize virtual keyboards that appear on their display) entering oftraditional communication media can be difficult. For example, having aplayer type “home” and then push send repeatedly is a complicated taskrequiring 5 separate keystrokes, each of which must accurately becompleted to make a single game input. Further, touch screen size on amobile device requires typing with one's thumbs, which is often muchslower than typing on a full size keyboard. Further, since mobiledevices typically also lack traditional input devices, such as videogame buttons and joysticks, they can't obtain information from those.

Instead, the system seeks to provide for a very simple command which canbe carried out quickly and efficiently using the mobile device (105) toprovide each game input. This will commonly be gestural and may utilizequick interactions with a mobile device (105) touchscreen (e.g. taps orswipes) or may utilize onboard electronics to detect motion of themobile device (105) itself (e.g. the accelerometer or gyroscope todetect directions of motion, position, shaking, tilting, etc.).

Once the game begins, the players (103) can make the gestural input withtheir device (105) quickly and easily. Each of these gestural inputswill generally produce a single item of game information referred toherein as an “instruction”. An instruction is a single piece of dataused by a server (201) or (301) which is processing the game output todetermine what instruction has been requested by the particular user(103). This can be as simple as a basic identifier of which avatar (403)to move a fixed amount, or a complicated input such as how far and inwhat directions a certain mobile device (105) is being tilted.

Once the instruction has been generated, it is packaged and transmitted(211) by the mobile device (105) and is sent to one of a number ofinterconnected and interrelated worker servers (201) that will bemanaging the data flow as best shown in FIG. 2B. Generally, each ofthese servers (201) will be assigned to interact with a certain numberof mobile devices (105). When the instruction is received, it isprocessed and understood, the worker server (201) will then instruct ahost server (301) to act on the instruction and alter the game field(401) on the display (401).

From a user's (103) point of view, they will be carrying out one actionon their mobile device (105) while those around them are also carryingout similar (or different) actions. If the user (103) then watches thecentral display (401), they will see an avatar on the central display(401) reacting to the combined input of some or all the users (103) inthe venue (10). This input will generally be in real-time (or nearreal-time) to the user (103) to add to realism. Thus, each user (103) iscontributing to an avatar (403) and the game (401) but each user is notcontrolling their own avatar as is the case in a standard multi-playergame. There are generally substantially fewer avatars than there arehuman participants in the present activities.

The distinction in avatar control from the present systems and methodsto a multi-player game is an important one. In a multi-player game, theplayer has an individual avatar and they only know what to do with theirindividual avatar by looking at their individual display. That is, thedisplay on their system shows them the interaction that is needed ontheir device to move their avatar where it needs to be. Thus, if theuser sees on their display that their avatar needs to move forward andthen turn right, they will move forward and then turn right when theirindividual display indicates that their avatar has reached the pointwhere a right turn is necessary. In the present case, the player islooking at the communal display and will know that the avatar they arepartially in control of needs to move forward and then to the right.They will then carry out actions on the individual device to assist inmoving the avatar forward until they (and everyone else controlling thatavatar) see on the communal display that the avatar needs to now goright, and they will then change their input to move the avatar to theright.

In effect, a couple of important differences from the present systems tomulti-player video games can be highlighted as follows: In the presentsystems and methods, an avatar is controlled by the joint actions ofmany human participants and there are generally far fewer avatars thanthere are participants. As such, there is no need for an individual userto be provided with a personal display for controlling their avatar asthe loss of granularity in feedback is compensated by the loss ofgranularity in control. The community display can be used to showmovement of the community controlled avatar. This arrangement allows fora dramatic reduction in the amount of computing power, and networkingspeed, needed for each player to play the game. Each player's mobiledevice (105) is reduced to a pure input object with local displays (107)being provided purely for instruction as to what commands to send (andare being sent), and the computationally difficult controls of actuallymoving the avatar, and providing graphics showing its actions, areoffloaded onto the host server (301). This means that communications aregenerally one-way in the present systems and methods with data alwaysflowing from the mobile device (105) to the host server (301) as opposedto needing to be two-way in a traditional multi-player video game. Thisreduces the network bandwidth necessary for each player to participateand allows the mobile device (105) to have a slower connection. Further,there is no need for any substantial computational activity to occur atthe mobile device (105). The mobile device (105) does not need togenerate a detailed display or update the display based on the actionsof other players. Thus, the processing speed of the mobile device (105)can be less and there is no need to have installed software on themobile device (105) that is used to generate the local display (107).

FIGS. 2A and 2B provides a block diagram of how an activity or game isinitially setup (FIG. 2A) to connect the plurality of mobile devices(105) to the host server (301) that ultimately powers the activity andhow the various inputs from the mobile devices (105) can be processedand transferred during an activity (FIG. 2B). FIG. 3 provides a generalflowchart of steps of the data communication associated with the mobiledevice (105). Generally, communication during the activity will beone-directional as a user's mobile device (105) will be displaying adisplay (107) which is different from the central display (401) which ison the central screen (101) and does not receive input as to the displayfrom the host server (301) after initial setup. This is however, notrequired, and the display (401) from the central screen (101) canalternatively or additionally be provided back to the user's device(105) during the game play. However, a one-directional methodology,where the mobile device (105) acts as a “controller” and the centraldisplay (401) acts as the display is generally preferred.

One-directional communication during game play by eliminating the needfor the user's mobile device (105) to display (107) any informationresponsive to occurrences of other players can provide for a very largereduction in network traffic. For example, if there were n players whereeach of the n players need to know what the other n−1 are doing (as in atraditional multi-player video game) there would be a need tocommunicate n instructions for every action by every player (1instruction into the host and n−1 instructions out to other players).Thus, assuming each player took one action in each time window, thiswould result in the communication of n² instructions (n into the hostand n*(n−1) from the host to the individual mobile devices) in each timewindow. In a one-way communication, with n players each of whichtransmits one instruction in the same time window, there is only ncommunications necessary. It should be apparent that the exponentialincrease in communications as the number of players goes up in thetwo-way communications system will much more rapidly use up allavailable bandwidth in a network connection than will the linearincrease in the one-way communication system. Thus, a large venue whichcan hold 50,000-100,000 people will only generate about as much one-waynetwork traffic as 200-300 people would generate in two-way traffic,which is easily manageable with current server systems.

It should be recognized that while the communication will generally beone-way from the mobile device (105) to the worker server (201) duringgame play, in an embodiment, there may be two-way communication orcommunication from the worker server (201) to the worker server (201)before or after game play. For example, the worker server (201) may sendinformation to verify the connection when the usher server (601) firstmakes the connection. Similarly, the worker server (201) may send a“thanks for playing” message back to the mobile device (105) at theconclusion of game play which may include information about thatplayer's game play. The worker server (201) may also send information tosever the connection. The one-way communication generally takes placeduring the game play and is related to instructions useful for providinggame data. These are not communicated from the worker server (201) tothe mobile device (105). Thus, the mobile device (105) is not providedwith any updates to game data during the game.

As shown in FIG. 3, game play will generally progress as follows. Firstthe user (103) will connect to a worker server (201) in step (311). Theygenerally will not install software on their machine to perform thisconnection, but will use standard infrastructure software and itsinherent capabilities such as, but not limited to, a web browser toconnect. The connection may occur using JavaScript™ or another scriptinglanguage for the software in this regard. The central display (401) mayfacilitate the setup by providing an indication an Internet address orsimilar direction for logging in. This can be using a typed in address,or by using various machine readable formats (e.g. QR or UPC codes) thata user can access using their mobile device (105) in the typicalfashion. Software access is typically provided to their mobile device(105) via an open portal connection to the worker server (201) and theuser's internal mobile device (105) software would solely to provide forinitial setup, for the generally one-way communication during the game,and to internally provide feedback to the user as to their action.Software on the mobile device (105) will be used to interpret theinstructions which the user (103) is giving to the mobile device (105)based on the rules of the game. For example, the mobile device (105) maydetermine how many swipes (and in which direction) the user is swipingthe screen. Alternatively, the mobile device (105) may determine howviolently it is being shaken (e.g. how far is it translating back andforth in any given time or how many directional changes of a certaingiven magnitude occur in any given time). The user (103) will now carryout game actions on their mobile device (105) once the game has startedin step (313). Starting instructions will usually be given via thecentral display (401), but this is by no means required.

At certain set intervals, the number and details of these instructionswill be gathered up and transmitted (211) from the user's mobile device(105) to the worker server (201) to which they are connected in step(315). The worker server (201) will have been previously selected forthis mobile device (105) in step (311) prior to instructions beingreceived. Generally, the venue (10) will have access to a number ofservers (201) each of which is capable of connecting with a certainnumber of mobile devices (105) in any given time window. The workerservers (201) may be providing services solely to this venue (10) or maybe providing services to a multitude of venues depending on embodiment.For example, the worker server (201) arrangement may comprise fiveseparate servers located at the venue (10) or access to five servers ata central remote location each of which is handling multiple differentvenues (10). Each of the worker servers (201) may include its ownspecific Bluetooth or Wi Fi systems capable of interacting withcorresponding systems in mobile devices (105) or may be connected to theInternet for receiving communication from that or another network towhich the mobile devices (105) are uploading.

Once the software on the mobile device (105) has prepared and packagedthe instruction (or more commonly multiple instructions) from this userit will send them (211) in step (317) to the worker server (201). Theworker server (201) will receive this communication and will collect theinstructions from multiple mobile devices in step (319). In anembodiment, the worker server (201) will collate the results frommultiple devices (105) to obtain a total from the mobile devices (105)connected to that worker server (201) or may otherwise process the inputinto a single command in step (321). This command (213) is then passedon to the host server (301) in step (323). The host server (301) willthen alter (215) the screen display (401) to comport with theinstructions received.

It should be understood that the instructions from the mobile device(105) will generally want to be acted upon in real-time or nearreal-time so that the players (103) will see changes generally as theinstructions are sent. This means that a very large number ofinstructions from a large number of mobile devices (105) will generallyneed to be processed quickly and provided to a single graphicalcontroller. For example, in a modern stadium it is not surprising forthere to be at least 30,000 and possibly upward of 100,000 attendees(101) at an event. If each of these individuals is participating in thegame (401), and each can generate three or four instructions per second,it should be clear that the amount of data necessary to transmit canincrease very quickly.

It is important to recognize that the nature of the game setup when agame is being performed in an arena is very different from a game wheremultiple users are logging in around the world. In a traditionalmulti-player video game, while a server could be handling thesimultaneous interaction of hundreds of thousands or even millions ofusers, there will generally be a relatively constant, or at least slowlychanging number of users starting and stopping the game. Further,regardless of how big the playing field is, any one user will often haveinteraction with only a relatively small number of users on the systemat any time. To put this another way, traditional multiplayer gamesoften work because the avatars each player “sees” on their display isactually only a very small subset of the avatars currently playing. Thiscan be because their area of manipulation is limited, and also bemanipulated by the game server. For example, two players may actually bein parallel universes or instances of the game. That is, the person maysee only 12 other avatars, even though in that section of the game thereare actually avatars for 12,000 users. The issue is that each player issimply seeing one of 1000 subsections of the users and the rest arebeing ignored.

In a game which is setup in a physical arena in a quick and often ad-hocfashion during a time break in action of relatively short duration(often 5 minutes or less), however, this is not generally possible.Specifically, all the users in the arena (which will commonly be in thetens of thousands) will need to join the game within a short (e.g.measurable in seconds) period of time, they all need to be together inthe same game and cannot be in parallel occurrences during the entireplay, and then they will all relatively quickly need to quit the game.Further, all of the actions of players obtaining the game, accessing thegame, playing the game, and leaving the game will need to take placeduring the break in action at the arena.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2B, the server systems are generally able tohandle the users once they are logged into the game and connected. Oneconcern, however, lies in getting them connected quickly when a largenumber of connection requests are coming in at once. To deal with this,the embodiment of FIG. 2B will commonly be setup using a special type ofserver computer called an usher server (601) as illustrated in FIG. 2A.

In FIG. 2A, when each mobile device (105) goes to the provided networklocation it will communicate (611) with an usher server (601). The usherserver (601) is designed to quickly receive the communication (611) fromthe mobile device (105) and to connect (621) the mobile device (105) tothe desired worker server (201). As such, the usher server (601) willgenerally not provide any game information. Instead, it may providebasic graphics information for the initial second display (107) setup aswell as communication information to connect the mobile device (105) tothe worker server (201). It is not surprising at this stage of setup ifdata transfer in communication (611) is substantially more two-way thanit will be later in communication (621) to achieve the initial setup.Alternatively, the usher server (601) may also direct an informationexchange (631) between the mobile device (105) and a storage server(701) which will act as a central repository to provide the informationto the mobile device (105). The actions of the various servers (201),(601), and (701) may also be controlled by a central controller (801).

The worker server (201) allocated to any particular mobile device (105)may be based on a selection algorithm to make sure that the load acrossthe servers (201) is generally balanced and the highest possible speedof communication (621) with all mobile devices (105) is maintained giventhe number of involved mobile devices (105) and servers (201) availableor via any other method. As would be understood by one of ordinary skillin the art, any form of load balancing, known or later discovered, maybe used to balance the mobile device (105) load across the workerservers (201) can be used. Further, any type of connection to the workerserver (201) may be provided including initiating a direct connectionbetween the worker server (201) and the mobile device (105) or amoderated connection placing the usher server (601) between.

The above allows the usher server (601) to rapidly process and pass offthe large and quick influx of requests to join the game which occur atthe very start. It can act to spread these requests across workerservers (201) and then move onto the next one. Once all the players fromthis game have been passed off, the usher server (601) then has capacityto take in the next influx which will usually be from a game occurringat a different venue. The usher computers (601) therefore act to levelout the ebbs and flows of the inputs.

The above illustrates why the usher server (601) arrangement of FIG. 2Ais preferred. This arrangement allows for the usher server (601) tohandle little or none of the active gameplay but instead focus entirelyon getting the mobile devices (105) setup and connected. Once the mobiledevices (105) have gotten their initial information, the usher server(601) essentially is removed from the communication (621) with thatmobile device (105) and the usher server (601) can go on to handlecommunication (611) with another mobile device (105). While human userswill often measure their log-in time as a matter of multiple seconds(e.g. it will take users different amounts of time in seconds to maketheir access request), the usher server (601) can often perform allnecessary actions to connect that mobile device (105) after the requestis sent in real-time and sometimes in less than a second or a fewseconds. This can provide real-time or near real-time setup even as anentire arena of people is essentially simultaneously requesting access.

The use of an usher server (601) can also provide for improved safetyfrom malicious attacks on the systems herein. Only the location of theusher server (601) is generally visible and the worker server (201) canbe at a hidden and generally unknown address. Further, the address ofthe usher server (601) may only be visible at the time log in is tooccur. The most likely way that the game play system discussed hereinwould be attacked is through a denial of service (DoS) attack where amalicious user would attempt to put through a huge number of requests toback up the worker server (201) and halt the ability to have game play.The usher server (601) system of FIG. 2A is more resistant to this thanmany standard systems because the usher server (601) is designed tohandle a sudden increase in connection requests as that is the formexpected, and because it can be harder to initiate and carry out such anattack when the game setup and activity is only ongoing for a relativelyshort period of time.

At the end of the action of FIG. 2A, the mobile devices (105) aregenerally connected to an appropriate worker server (201) as shown inFIG. 2B. To deal with the data influx from the plurality of mobiledevices (105), the use of multiple worker servers (201) is generallypreferred as discussed above as this allows for server balancing andimproved speed. In addition, certain methods can be used to try anddecrease the amount of data being transmitted. In an embodiment, thedata can be consolidated at each stage of transmission. For example, ifthe data is for which direction a person is swiping, generally eachindividual attendee (101) will only be swiping in one direction.Therefore, it is not necessary to transmit each swipe as a differentpiece of information. Instead, the mobile device (105) may simplytransmit (211) a total number of swipes in the specified direction atcertain fixed time intervals (for example every second). As a mobiledevice (105) is generally able to process much faster than a user (103)can carry out any kind of gestural action and the sheer number of inputsinto the game (401) can rapidly overwhelm a human's ability to pick outany one, such packaging can be virtually transparent to the user (103)

Worker servers (201) can similarly consolidate information from multipledevices (105) in the same way and transmit (213) the consolidatedinformation to the host server (301). For example, the worker server(201) can collect the total number of swipes for each direction and sendthe totals. Alternatively, the worker server (201), if the nature of thegame is accommodative, could cancel opposing instruction and send onlythe difference. For example, if 50 right swipes and 60 left swipes werereceived, the worker server (201) would send a net 10 swipes left to thehost sever (301).

As shown in FIG. 2B, each mobile device (105) will generally transmitits information to the appropriate worker server (201) to which it isconnected and the worker server (201) will transmit its information tothe host server (301) which controls the actual game play. In this way,the host server (301) is actually receiving very few transmissionscompared what is received by each worker server (201) and each workerserver (201) is not having to process all the instructions from all themobile devices (105). Thus, very large numbers of instructions can behandled very quickly. Further, as should be apparent in FIG. 2B, duringgame play, the communication (621) is generally only one-way (as opposedto during setup in FIG. 2A). Information is flowing from mobile devices(105) to the worker servers (201) and to the host servers (301) but notthe other direction.

It should be recognized that during game play the second display (107)could be displaying game related data. However, the game related data isnot being live updated during the game in the preferred embodiment. Forexample, the second display (107) on the mobile device (105) may show atarget for the user to swipe at when doing their gestures. The mobiledevice (105) may, for example, move the target with every swipe and/orprovide for a “slash” image across the touchscreen display with everyswipe or may provide a static display. This information, however, is notactually game information. It is simply feedback to the user that theyhave swiped the screen. The feedback is not obtained from the workerserver (201) is any way. It is simply performed internal to the mobiledevice (105). This will generally be the operation during game play sothat the information flow is not constricted even with a large number ofusers.

The host server (301) is responsible for controlling the content (401)of the end display (401). Generally, the host server (301) will be thestandard system for controlling the display (401) and will simply beprovided with appropriate software to display the game and interpret theinput from the various worker servers (201). As the inputs on the mobiledevice (105) is often gestural, the software controlling the game on thehost server (301) will often utilize a physics engine to provide foroutput and movement of game avatars. Alternatively, the controller (801)may actually handle all the game control and act to assist the hostcomputer (301) or to even control the host computer (301). In such anembodiment, instructions may actually be provided to the controller(801) from the worker server (201) either additionally or instead of tothe host computer (301).

It should be recognized that in certain situations, the host server(301) may need to manipulate the game and make sure that the game runsfor the appropriate amount of time. For example, a timeout in sportsgenerally allows the team to be off the field for only a particularamount of time and play needs to resume after that time is done or elseone team may get an unfair advantage in their time outs compared to theother. To deal with the fact that the activity provided herein needs tobe completed within this fixed amount of time, the software on the hostserver (301) may provide some manipulations to the activity to make surethat the activity progresses as it needs to. For example, the softwaremay weigh the value of any one instruction based on the total number ofinstructions or players. For example, assume an avatar needs to move6,000,000 units to complete its trip and have the game end and the gameneeds to take no more than 60 seconds. Also let us assume there are10,000 players that will each provide 3 instructions per second. In thiscase the host server (301) may provide that each instruction will resultin moving the avatar 4 units. In this case, the instructions providedwill move the avatar 7,200,000 units in exactly 60 seconds which shouldallow the game to complete in time (even with some inaccuracy andvariability in players providing input). If the number of playersdoubled, the host server (301) would instead assign that eachinstruction would move the avatar 2 units. This would result in the sameamount of avatar movement in the same time. This scaling of avatarmovement based on the number of users and their behavior can provide foran activity of more definitive length by generally forcing the game lastwithin a desired window of time.

Should there be a problem starting to arise that an activity may notcomplete in time, a user in charge of the host server (301) may beprovided with a master override which will supplement the actions of theuser. For example, such “super user” may be provided with the ability toenter multiple instructions with each instruction given. For example, asuper user may be able to enter 3,000 instructions for every instructionthey enter. This super user would thus be able to close to double (orvirtually contradict) the actions of the entire rest of the users. Whilethe super user ability is desirable as it provides for a measure ofadditional protection that the activity does not run too long or toshort, it is generally important that it not detract from the actualeffects the audience is seeing, and that its use generally not benoticeable. In this respect, the selection of the super user'smultiplier effect of instructions will generally be such that while itcan act to speed up or slow down the outcome of the game, it generallywould not be able to alter it except in very close cases. In this way, asuper user's interference with the game will generally not detrimentallyeffect play, or be particularly noticeable, but can allow foracceleration or the activity as necessary.

It should be recognized that the end display (401) can provide a widevariety of content (401). In most embodiments, the content (401) willgenerally be indicative of a contest in the form of a game or acollaborative exercise, but these are not intended to be limiting. Thisis a logical arrangement as it allows the attendees (101) to pick, or beassigned, a side as part of participation, and to then play bysupporting that side or for every player to play as one “team” with acommon goal. The game may be based on the nature of the event beingattended, or may be unrelated. FIGS. 4-7 provide for embodiments of acompetitive game (401) while FIG. 1 shows a collaborative activity(401).

FIG. 8 shows a screen (801) which may comprise the content (107) forselecting a team if user selection of a team is a providedfunctionality. This screen (801) will generally be displayed on thedisplay (101) during setup. The user (101) could be able to tap on theteam on their mobile device (105) secondary display (107) they wish tojoin or may be randomly or otherwise assigned to a team outside of theircontrol (for example, it may occur by where they are sitting) as opposedto trying to navigate their particular device to select content on thedisplay (401). Such setup content to the mobile device (105) can beprovided via the usher server (601) and can be involved in worker server(201) selection for that mobile device (105).

Once the user has selected (or been assigned) a team, the secondarydisplay (107) will generally provide for instructions on how to play thegame. Generally, it will be preferred that the local display (107) besimple and not involve getting data from the worker server (201) toimprove speed of the game transmission. In this way, the datatransmission is one way with the mobile device (105) acting as a form ofcontroller to the central display (401).

FIGS. 4-7 provide for a variety of game content (401) to display on thecentral display (401). It should be recognized that a variety of gamesare possible and these FIGS are only exemplary. FIG. 4 shows acompetitive ball race game. In this game, the two teams will try to tilttheir individual mobile devices (101) so that the maze avatar (403)tilts and the “ball” (503) “rolls” through the maze faster than it doesfor the opposing side. In FIG. 5 each team avatar (403) comprises acollector which may be used to grab coins that are falling or otherwisepresented on the screen by moving into them. In FIG. 6 each avatar (403)is a representation of a basketball player that will shoot a half-courtshot based on user (103) input. Finally, in FIG. 7, the avatars (403)are designed to race through a maze like structure to be the first toreach a target (505).

It should also be recognized that the display (401) does not need tooperate alone providing feed back to the user (103). The system canoperate the central display (401) in conjunction with other sensoryapparatus. For example, the display (401) could be encouraging people toshake their phones (105) to get a volcano to explode. As the amount ofshaking increases, the volcano display could begin to shake whilesimultaneously rumbling audio is getting louder corresponding to theimagery on the display (401). Lights in the stadium could also flickerand dim, or when sufficient game input is received, fireworks may belaunched.

It should be recognized that while the invention is discussed herein inconjunction with a central display (401) for a large number of users(103) at a venue (10) interacting with mobile devices (105) this is notrequired. In an alternative embodiment, the users (103) could be atremote locations and could be interacting with a central display (401)using any other type of computer. Further, the content (401) of thecentral display (401) may be provided to them in any fashion such as viavideo if they are watching the event on television or via audio or textif they are interacting with the event via other remote activities.

While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a descriptionof certain embodiments, including those that are currently believed tobe the preferred embodiments, the detailed description is intended to beillustrative and should not be understood to limit the scope of thepresent disclosure. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art, embodiments other than those described in detail herein areencompassed by the present invention. Modifications and variations ofthe described embodiments may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

It will further be understood that any of the ranges, values,properties, or characteristics given for any single component of thepresent disclosure can be used interchangeably with any ranges, values,properties, or characteristics given for any of the other components ofthe disclosure, where compatible, to form an embodiment having definedvalues for each of the components, as given herein throughout. Further,ranges provided for a genus or a category can also be applied to specieswithin the genus or members of the category unless otherwise noted.

1. A control system for a multi-player user computer game comprising: ahost server controlling a central display visible to a plurality ofusers, each of said plurality of users having a mobile device; aplurality of worker servers in communication with said host server; anusher server for connecting a subset of said mobile devices to each ofsaid worker servers; non-transitory computer readable media including:computer readable instructions for causing said central display toprovide an indication of how to make a connection using said mobiledevice; computer readable instructions for connecting said usher serverto said mobile device; computer readable instructions for causing saidusher server to connect said mobile device to one of said workerservers; computer readable instructions for receiving from said mobiledevice an instruction to said connected worker server to control aportion of said computer game; computer readable instructions forcollecting said instructions from said connected mobile devices at eachsaid worker server and providing said instructions to said host server;and computer readable instructions for altering said display based onsaid instructions; wherein neither said host server nor said workerserver sends instructions to said mobile device to alter a secondarydisplay on said mobile device.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein saidcentral display is in a sports arena.
 3. The system of claim 1 whereinsaid central display is in a concert hall.
 4. The system of claim 1wherein said mobile device is a smartphone.
 5. The system of claim 1wherein said central display provides a game being played by said users,said central display including an avatar.
 6. The system of claim 5wherein said central display includes a plurality of avatars, and saidplurality of avatars is less than said plurality of users.
 7. The systemof claim 1 wherein said mobile devices are separated into two or moreopposing teams.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein said secondary displaychanges solely on user input to said mobile device while said mobiledevice is communicating to said worker server.
 9. The system of claim 1wherein said secondary display is static while said mobile device iscommunicating to said worker server.
 10. The system of claim 1 whereinwhen each said mobile device provides an instruction to said connectedworker server said instruction is sent directly from said mobile deviceto said connected worker server and does not pass through said usherserver.
 11. A system for providing a multi-player computer game, thesystem comprising: a venue having a central display visible to aplurality of users, each of said plurality of users having a mobiledevice; means for said central display indicating of how to make aconnection using said mobile device; means for connecting said mobiledevice to an usher server; said usher server connecting said mobiledevice to a worker server; means for each of said mobile devices toprovide an instruction to said connected worker server to control aportion of said computer game; means for collecting said instructionsfrom said connected mobile devices and providing said instructions tosaid host server; and means for altering said display based on saidinstructions; wherein neither said host server nor said worker serversends instructions to said mobile device to alter a secondary display onsaid mobile device.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said venue is asports arena.
 13. The system of claim 11 wherein said venue is a concerthall.
 14. The system of claim 11 wherein said mobile device is asmartphone.
 15. The system of claim 11 wherein said central displayprovides a game being played by said users, said central displayincluding an avatar.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein said centraldisplay includes a plurality of avatars, and said plurality of avatarsis less than said plurality of users.
 17. The system of claim 11 whereinsaid mobile devices are separated into two or more opposing teams. 18.The system of claim 11 further comprising, said secondary display oneach of said mobile devices changing based solely on user input to saidmobile device while said mobile device is communicating to said workerserver.
 19. The system of claim 11 wherein said secondary display isstatic while said mobile device is communicating to said worker server.20. The system of claim 11 wherein when each said mobile device providesan instruction to said connected worker server said instruction is sentdirectly from said mobile device to said connected worker server anddoes not pass through said usher server.